Month: December 2016

Record Number of Students Attend Charters

Post author By
Post date December 13, 2016

New data demonstrates Arizona families are choosing charters in greater numbers

Public charter schools are increasingly the preferred choice among Arizona families, according to new 2016-17 student enrollment data.

A record 180,000 students currently attend 547 Arizona charter schools, an increase of nearly 10,000 students – or 5.8 percent – over the 2015-16 school year. By comparison, year-over-year enrollment in Arizona district schools grew by just 4,000 students – an uptick of less than half a percentage point.

“Public charter schools are fundamental to Arizona’s K-12 landscape,” said Eileen Sigmund, President and CEO of the Arizona Charter Schools Association. “For the last two decades, charters have been changing lives for the better and become a preferred choice for families and students seeking a high-quality public education. The reason is clear: charter schools serve a diverse student population and generate better student outcomes across all demographics.”

Association Blog

Charter Makes History with Football Win

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Post date December 13, 2016

American Leadership Academy Becomes the First Charter to Win an AIA State Football Championship

Arizona’s charter movement hit another milestone this year, as American Leadership Academy Queen Creek became the first charter school to win an Arizona Interscholastic Association state football championship.

The East Valley high school earned the distinction after its football team won the State 3A championship, beating Tucson’s Sabino High School 31-14 on Nov. 26.

“Arizona charter schools have been part of the fabric of Arizona’s public school landscape for over 20 years,” said Eileen B. Sigmund, President and CEO of the Arizona Charter Schools Association. “ALA Queen Creek’s success shows that charter students can receive top marks in the classroom and also be competitive on the field.”

This was only the ALA Patriots’ third year in the AIA. Last year, they lost in the state semifinals.

“This win means a great deal to us. We have had unbelievable support from our students, administration and families, and to win this for them is very satisfying,” said Head Coach Rich Edwards.

Although ALA is talented, passionate and has added a championship to its trophy case, the school isn’t solely focused on becoming a football powerhouse.

EVER SINCE FLORES: THE HISTORY OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS IN ARIZONA

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Post date December 1, 2016

A TWO-PART LOOK AT THE DATA BEHIND ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS IN ARIZONA

Eleven years ago, nearly 20 percent of Arizona’s public students were not proficient in English – meaning their primary language was non-English. Today, between 4-7 percent of our students are classified as not proficient in English. These statistics seem puzzling, given Arizona is a border state, has an increasing K-12 population and is commonly thought of as growing in diversity. Either the data is askew or our rapidly rising K-12 population has a lot more English speakers than it once did.